Chirps from Center Ice

Music to Set the Mood

So I was in the food store this past Sunday and this song came on the loudspeakers…

Hello, you fool. I love you.
Come on join the joyride…

Got me to thinking, as I was still stewing over the Penguins blowout loss to the Syracuse Crunch the night prior in the bread aisle, would make a perfect song for this weeks preview.

Seems like every October we get welcomed back to another season of Penguins hockey. (Hello) We all love the team and hockey in general (I love you) so we show up with great expectations.

Who’s the fool, though?

Come on join the joyride, indeed.

Listen, I don’t think they are a championship caliber team. They are a group of prospects and aging vets so you are going to have clunkers like you saw last Saturday. Should we get mad? I am not going to tell you what to do with your hard earned dollar. But if you are there for the joyride and the entertainment value, you are doing yourself more harm than good to go and get upset when a group of players throw a clunker or two at you from time to time.

So just join the joyride.

A Quote…

Buy the ticket, take the ride.
— Hunter S. Thompsoon

Seems apropos.

The Setup

Home game with the Hershey Bears Wednesday then they hit the road for five straight starting with a pair in Providence this weekend.

Records

The Bears split a pair of games with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms this past weekend where the home team lost each game. (sound familiar?) Hershey got walloped at home Sunday 4-1 after beating Lehigh Valley 2-1 the night before (familiarity, anyone?) So the Bears will be extra surly when they come calling Wednesday with their 9-4 record, good for first in the Atlantic at 18 points.

Providence has turned it around it would seem, sweeping the weekend, and sit with a 6-4-1-2 record, in a tight one with the Penguins, Charlotte and Springfield. The Bruins beat the Springfield Thunderbirds 5-4 Friday then swept the Hartford Wolf Pack to a tune of 2-0 and 3-2 Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

Who’s Up? Who’s Down? Who’s Out?

Magnus Hellberg and Vinnie Hinostroza are up in Pittsburgh. Hurt are Sam Poulin and Avery Hayes, I think.

Jonathan Gruden was recalled for four hours then sent back on Wednesday. Coal Street sent Taylor Gauthier and the rarely used Justin Lee down to Wheeling and recalled Justin Addamo and Jordan Frasca were recalled from the ECHL.

What can we learn about the Penguins this week?

Can they ever learn from their perpetual mistakes? The same mistakes over and over defensively? Coaching? I have no idea. I guess we find out fast Wednesday against Hershey, who doesn’t lose two in a row, and against a resurgent Providence team.

They have the vets and the talent inside of those vets to win or stay competitive in every game they play. But when the vets make the same mistakes as a rookie playing in his 10th game, its a recipe for disaster.

Come on join the joyride….

Who’s in Goal?

Joel Blomqvist will likely get the start Wednesday, Garret Sparks will likely get the start Friday then Blomqvist again on Saturday, I’d think. What of Taylor Gauthier? I think he goes back to Wheeling, but who knows.

Likely the freshly reassigned Hunter Shepard for the Bears. If something unforeseen happens then possibly Clay Stevenson, who started both games this past weekend with Hunter Shepard up in Washington at the time. For Providence, Michael DiPietro shut out the Wolf Pack with 34 saves on Saturday and Brandon Bussi stopped 35 of 37 on Sunday. The Penguins will be starting down both barrels guarded by these gentlemen this weekend. I’d venture Bussi goes Friday and DiPietro goes Saturday.

Who is running the show?

Graedy Hamilton and Andrew Bell are here Wednesday with the Bears and Patrick Dapuzzo and Ryan Knapp man the lines.

It’s also one of those weeks where they don’t post the referees for the weekend. Yet at least. They will, but I won’t work the edit in. I know that whomever is assigned is a highly capable individual.

Looking Ahead…

Thanksgiving Eve in Hershey, then they have to hop a plane and fly down for a 4 p.m. Black Friday game against the Charlotte Checkers and then do the same thing again the following day on Saturday. Seems like a brutal trip, so this weeks points are a must have.

Give us a bold prediction….

I won’t get mad at all this week watching them play and neither will you.